### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **môhar**, represented by `{{H4119}}`, refers to **a price (for a wife); dowry**. It is a specific term that appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses** in the Bible. The word originates from מָהַר and signifies the payment or compensation given to a father in exchange for his daughter's hand in marriage.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H4119}}` is central to marriage negotiations and legal statutes. When Shechem desires to marry Dinah, he offers to meet any price, saying, "Ask me never so much **dowry** and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me" [[Genesis 34:12]]. The term also appears in a legal context in the Mosaic Law, which stipulates that if a man seduces an unbetrothed virgin, he must "pay money according to the **dowry** of virgins" if her father refuses to let him marry her [[Exodus 22:17]]. In a different context, King Saul subverts the expectation of a monetary payment by telling David he does not desire a **dowry**, but rather the foreskins of one hundred Philistines [[1 Samuel 18:25]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the transactional nature of the **môhar**:
* `{{H7235}}` **râbâh** (to increase): This root is used in Shechem's plea to "Ask me never so much dowry," highlighting that the value of the `môhar` could be made great or abundant depending on the negotiation [[Genesis 34:12]].
* `{{H4976}}` **mattân** (a present; gift): This word appears directly alongside **môhar** in [[Genesis 34:12]], suggesting that additional gifts could supplement the formal marriage price.
* `{{H8254}}` **shâqal** (to pay, weigh): This verb describes the action of settling the dowry obligation. It is used in [[Exodus 22:17]] where the man "shall pay money" according to the standard dowry, linking the `môhar` directly to a weighed or measured payment.
* `{{H3701}}` **keçeph** (silver, money): This noun specifies the form of payment for the `môhar`. In the law, the dowry is equated with a payment of **money** [[Exodus 22:17]], confirming its function as a financial transaction.
### Theological Significance
The cultural significance of `{{H4119}}` is seen in its function within legal and social frameworks:
* **Marriage Price:** The `môhar` establishes a formal, transactional basis for a marriage agreement. It represents a price paid to the bride's father, as shown by Shechem's willingness to `give` (`{{H5414}}`) a dowry and gift for a wife [[Genesis 34:12]].
* **Legal Standard:** It serves as a benchmark for legal restitution. In [[Exodus 22:17]], the "dowry of virgins" is the required fine, demonstrating that the `môhar` was a recognized and standardized value within the law.
* **A Negotiable Price:** The value of the `môhar` was not always fixed. It could be increased [[Genesis 34:12]] or even substituted with a non-monetary price, as when Saul requested a payment in the form of slain enemies instead of a traditional dowry [[1 Samuel 18:25]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4119}}` is a precise term defining the price paid for a bride. While infrequent in scripture, its occurrences reveal its importance in the social, legal, and transactional dimensions of marriage in the Old Testament. It functioned as a negotiated payment, a legal standard for compensation, and a custom that could be adapted for purposes beyond a simple financial exchange.
TRV